The Breast Care Center at Methodist Hospitals allows women of Northwest Indiana to receive some of the most personalized, high-quality breast health evaluations in the Region. While the facility has a plethora of programs that can better the chances of combating breast cancer in women, there are a couple of partner organizations that allow the Breast Care Center to maximize the care provided to the patients.
One organization that has a partnership with the Breast Care Center, Fighting Pretty, was formed by Kara Frazier as she was mourning the loss of her Mema, who passed away after a long battle with breast cancer. One day, Frazier found a suspicious lump on her armpit area, only to find out it was stage 3 breast cancer. As of today, Frazier is healthy, and the non-profit organization continues to serve as a story for strong women who deal with breast cancer.
Alyssa Gawlinski, president of the board of directors for Fighting Pretty, is grateful for every opportunity this organization has to collaborate with others who are focused on the battle against breast cancer.
“Fighting Pretty is a national nonprofit. We have touched all 50 U.S. states and over 30 countries internationally over the past 12 years that we've been an organization,” Gawlinski said. “Our mission is to support and remind women battling any type of cancer at any stage that they are strong, beautiful, fierce, and amazing. It's been absolutely wonderful to be personally involved with the organization since 2019 and watching it grow.”
It was a perfect match for Fighting Pretty to connect with the Breast Care Center, as both organizations share a drive for instilling strength, beauty, and love in every woman who is fighting breast cancer.
“We connected with the Breast Care Center at Methodist Hospitals last year and immediately hit it off,” Gawlinski said. “Being able to connect and provide this level of care has been incredible. During COVID in 2020, when individuals were not able to take their significant others, other family members, or friends with them to their treatments, we still wanted to show the Fighting Pretty community that we were there. We were sending strength. We were sending love. We wanted to provide the support, and that helped our Strength & Beauty Program get started.”
Every $10 that’s donated to Fighting Pretty’s Strength & Beauty Program helps provide one Strength & Beauty Kit to a woman in active cancer treatment. Local donations and fundraising events in Northwest Indiana are incredibly important for Gawlinski and her team.
Over the past 12 years, the goal every year has been to help 10,000 women through the program. In total, the Strength & Beauty Program has allowed the organization to support more than 45,000 women. Local business owners have played a monumental role in supporting this cause. Fighting Pretty’s monthly donor program is encouraged by Gawlinski for all who are able to contribute in local communities, as anyone can make a difference for just $10.
Another organization that has a strong relationship with the Breast Care Center is Laini Fluellen Charities. The organization started as a result of identifying a need for additional help as an effort to provide funds for research to address triple-negative breast cancer, a form of breast cancer that affects many African Americans and Hispanic women.
Kathy Brantley, a member of the board with Laini Fluellen Charities, notes that one way for the organization to make an impact in partnering with facilities like the Breast Care Center is through a program called Beth’s Bags.
“We found out that when people are newly diagnosed with breast cancer, they need support that can help address the diagnosis and assistance in their treatment process,” Brantley said. “We provide a care package for them, which we call Beth’s Bags, which includes items to help comfort them through their chemotherapy treatment. It also includes a planner so that they can keep track of their doctor visits.”
Along with a list of questions that they can have a doctor answer, the care package provides a positive connotation for the women undergoing treatment. This includes puzzles for them to do, socks and gloves to wear if they’re feeling cold, a seat belt cushion, and a ball that allows the patients to exercise their hands. While some patients might not have enough money or financial constraints, Laini Fluellen Charities also provides gift cards for the Breast Care Center to supply to the patients and give them additional support.
Laini Fluellen Charities is committed to reducing the disparities in health outcomes from breast cancer patients by making education more accessible. One way they are able to achieve this is the “Know Your Lemons” campaign.
“We’ll go out to the churches, organizations, schools, or anybody who asks us to come and give seminars and show them how to give themselves self-exams in this campaign,” Brantley said. “It allows them to get an early look at diagnostic issues that can be identified and addressed with their medical professionals. The earlier you diagnose breast cancer, or any cancer, the better your prognosis is going to be. Education is a key component of what we’re all about.”
Along with these programs, Laini Fluellen Charities does an annual fundraiser called the Pink Tie Affair, dedicated to raising both funds and awareness in support of their mission.
The Breast Care Center has a well-rounded staff and partner organizations that are making a difference in the lives of women, especially in Northwest Indiana. The goal is to continue working together and keep building a community focused on good health and the motivation to keep finding answers.
“From all the individuals and businesses that I’ve been able to connect with globally, it gives me hope that we can see a world one day without cancer,” Gawlinski said. “In the meantime, we know that we have an army of troops that are there to do what they can to see growth and continue to drive it. There are many good things ahead while we keep fighting this together, and now is the time to continue to support those in our community.”
For more information on the Breast Care Center at Methodist Hospitals, you can visit methodisthospitals.org.
